Progress for Women, is Progress for all
Today, on March 8th 2010, Tanzania will join Member States of the United Nations to mark International Women’s Day. On this day, countries will be expected to reflect on their progress towards the commitments made at Beijing 15 years ago – the theme being “15 Years after Beijing; Women Can! Afford them opportunities”. What sort of story will Tanzania tell?
Will it be said that in 2010 Tanzanian women and girls continue to be plagued by violence? One in three girls are beaten, coerced into sex, or abused in some way – most often by someone she knows. Such cruelty violates human rights, undermines development, generates instability, and makes peace and democracy hard to achieve.
Hidden behind the veil of traditional practices and the need to ensure African cultures are kept alive, Tanzanian girls still undergo female genital mutilation.
It will be said that over 8,000 Tanzanian women continue to die every year from pregnancy and childbirth related complication – most of which are preventable and figures that have remained virtually unchanged throughout the last decade.
In 2010, Tanzania still has unclear laws regarding the legal age of marriage and girls still get married at 15 years and below -- social expectations pressurizing such child brides to begin bearing children when they are still children themselves. Child marriage and the consequence teenage pregnancy threatens the health and limits the opportunities of girls to develop and grow to their full potential, especially disrupting their education, violating their human rights and dragging them into a spiral of poverty. Teenage childbearing is a leading cause of death in Tanzania and is also linked to obstetric fistula, a devastating and socially isolating condition that leaves women incontinent. Teenage mothers are also more likely to have children with low birth weight, inadequate nutrition and anemia.
Even with progress in primary school enrollment at secondary and tertiary school levels the gender gap remains wide. And it is not just about numbers, much still needs to be done to ensure quality education and that girls are not the first to be taken out of school in the face of household crisis – whether financial, to care for sick relatives or to carry out domestic chores. Teenage pregnancy stands at almost 30 per cent in rural areas (2007/8 THMIS) and girls continue to be denied their right to go on learning, some even being expelled from school because of their pregnancies.
What we want the story to say is that the future is full of great promises for young people and women of Tanzania.
President Kikwete is part of a strong global force championing efforts towards attainment of MDG 3 (gender equality), MDG4 (reducing child mortality) and MDG5 (improving maternal health). Tanzania should be able to say with confidence that with such leadership and backed with the right financial allocations, it will attain MDG3, MDG4 and MDG5 by 2015.In 2008, the President launched the campaign to Stop Violence against Women. He continues to stand by efforts to end, and never to excuse, violence against women. With such a positive tone being set at the top, we are hopeful that this will cascade across all the ranks and levels and an even stronger momentum will be set to really change things around for women and girls.
As members of a larger development community in Tanzania that remains fully committed to effective cooperation that delivers results and that is lead, driven and owned by Tanzania, Sweden and the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA continue to call for strong and sustained leadership. All leaders need to be mobilized – leaders in communities, political leaders, religious leaders and youth leaders. We must engage leaders from the private sector. Men’s involvement should not just be perceived as “good for women” but it is also good for men and more important “good for the nation”.
There must be no tolerance for violence against women and girls including traditional practices that are harmful such as female genital mutilation. There must be accountability for violations, and concrete steps to end these practices that justify discrimination against women. And survivors must be listened to and supported.Some important steps forward should be noted and taken as an inspiration to intensified efforts. The increased representation of women in Government and Parliament and the recent decision to reach the gender parity target of 50/50 in the Bunge after the general elections is commendable. The revised Land and Village Land Act of 1999 and its implementation, has strengthened women’s ownership of land. Gender budgeting has been adopted by the Government along with training to the Ministries to mainstream gender issues into budgets. At the same time there are challenges in a number of areas that need to be addressed.
We want the story to say that sustained progress has been made in changing social norms, beliefs and attitudes that condone discrimination and gender inequality. Legal systems, access to justice and the rule of law need to be strengthened. The right to sexual and reproductive health needs to be guaranteed. Support must be given to improve women’s health and expand their choices in life. Information and services for family planning, safe motherhood and HIV prevention need to be provided. Empowering and providing opportunities for women and young people, is an indispensible tool for advancing development and reducing poverty.
We hope that Tanzanian women and men in the near future will experience a new environment conducive to keeping girls in school through the secondary and tertiary levels and providing life skills and counseling so that adolescents girls are aware of their rights and can protect themselves from unplanned pregnancies and HIV. Schools should provide high quality education on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
We hope that Tanzanian women and men can expect that when decisions are being made on budgets and discussions on macroeconomic policies that gender equality and advancement of women are central to the decisions being made.
On the 8th of March let us all stand in solidarity with the women and girls of Tanzania who deserve respect and the ability to live in dignity, free of fear, shame and want. This is the real life story that Tanzanian women and girls deserve.
Sweden and UNFPA as part of the United Nations Delivering as One, will support Tanzania to address the injustice of poverty borne so heavily by women and girls, and advance gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Let us go forward with the vision that progress for women is progress for all.
Mr Staffan Herrström, Ambassador of Sweden
Julitta Onabanjo, UNFPA Representative